Seesaw



K. BEHRENS March 7, 1961 SEESAW 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15, 1959 INVENTOR.

Arraexvsy K. BEHRENS SEESAW 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15, 1959 m 5 m M'WFH w w Nm 1 5 mm.--: :P .S Llhm W C K W WFH NW A1 United States Patent SEESAW Karl Behrens, 3480 Shank Road, Hamilton, Ohio Filed May 15, 1959, Ser. No. 813,582

3 Claims. (Cl. 272-30) The present invention relates to amusement devices generally and in particular to a collapsible seesaw.

Modern housing facilities generally do not provide more than minimum sized play areas for children. The erection in such an area of a seesaw in a fixed position is therefore impractical and undesirable for a number of reasons. Presently in use and previously proposed have been seesaws constructed so as to be portable or collapsible and such seesaws, for many reasons, have not met with wide acceptance.

Frequently, the portable or collapsible seesaw proposed has been awkward to handle, lacking in safety features, often without positive locking means when in the extended position for use, or constructed from many components and is such a complicated matter as to be economically impractical.

An object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible seesaw which is simple in structure, one sturdy in construction and having positive locking means when in the extended position, and one which is easily assembled and disassembled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible seesaw which is mounted so that it may be used as a merry-go-round, one which can accommodate children of different sizes and weights, one economically feasible, and one which is highly effective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following de scription when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the seesaw according to the present invention, shown in a position of use;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of a portion of the seesaw, shown in folded or nested condition ready for storage;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of another portion of the seesaw in nested condition;

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view;

Figure 6 is a view taken on the line 66 of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a view taken on the line 77 of Figure 4 and on an enlarged scale. t

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the collapsible seesaw according to the present invention comprises a base 10 having a disc-like bottom 12 and a short sleeve 14 mounted centrally of the bottom 12. The sleeve 14 is open at the top and a standard 16 has the portion against its lower end slidably mounted in or connected to the sleeve 14 for up and down movement.

A tripod support 18 extends about and is superimposed above the bottom 12. The support 18 includes legs 20 arranged in an upwardly sloping direction and each connected intermediate its ends by an arm 22 to an adjacent pair of trunnions 24 secured to the bottom 12 and abutting the exterior surface of the sleeve 14. A collar lQQ,

26 is pivotally connected to the upper ends of the legs 20 and is fixedly secured to the portion of the standard 16 inwardly of the upper end thereof.

The seesaw includes an inverted hollow V-shaped housing 28 open at the lower end and positioned so that the upper end portion of the standard 16 projects into the lower open end of the housing 28, as shown in Figure 4. The upper end of the standard 16 is rounded, as at 30 in Figure 4, so that it rollably engages the apex of the housing 28.

A pair of planks 32 and 34 are arranged in confronting end to end relation and are positioned so that they extend horizontally across the lower open end of the housing 28. The confronting end to end portions of the planks 32 and 34, straddle the lower open ends of the housing 28, the portions being designated by the numerals 36 and 38, respectively.

Each of the planks 32 and 34 is formed of two elongated pieces 40 and 42, as shown in Figure 7 with reference to the plank 34. The pieces 40 and 42 are arranged in parallel laterally spaced relation and are connected together at their ends remote from the housing 28 by a cross piece 44. The pieces 40 and 42, of each of the planks 32 and 34, are also connected together at a point adjacent to and exteriorly of the housing 28 by cross pieces 46, each of the latter being triangular in crosssectional configuration, as shown most clearly in Figure 4.

Means is provided connecting each of the planks 32 and 34 intermediate the ends to the housing 28 for swinging movement from the horizontal position (Figure 4) to a position perpendicular with respect to the housing 28, as shown in Figure 2.

Specifically, this means consists in a pair of pivot pins 48, each extending through the adjacent lower end of the housing 28 and through the pieces 40 and 42 of the adjacent plank 32 or 34.

The tops of the confronting end portions 36 and 38 of the planks 32 and 34, respectively, bear against the underside of the adjacent portions of the lower open end of the housing 28 for holding the planks '32 and 34 in the horizontal end to end position.

Releasable latch means is provided on the housing 28 and engaging the confronting end portions of the planks 3 2 and 34 when the planks 32 and 34 are in the horizontal position for retaining the planks 32 and 34 in the horizontal position. Specifically, this releasable latch means consists in a hinge 50 having the portion adjacent one end of one leaf bent inwardly to form a hook, as shown in Figure 2. The hook is designated by the reference numeral 52 and, when the planks 32 and 34 are in the horizontal position, the hook 52 underliesthe lower edgesof the portions 36 and 38 of the planks 32 and 34 and prevents the swinging upward movement of the planks 32 and 34 from the horizontal position.

A board 54 is positioned in superimposed relation with respect to each of the planks 32 and 34 and is connected to the plank 32 or 34 for sliding back and forth movement therealong. Each board 54 carries a seat 56, formed integrally therewith, and a handle bar assembly 58.

Means is provided for releasably securing each of the boards 54 to the adjacent plank 32 or 34 in any position of its adjusted back and forth movement. This means consists in a bolt 60 having a wing nut 62 on one end thereof. The bolt 60 has its shank extending through a clamp element 64 bridging the lower faces of the pieces 40 and 42 of each of the planks 32 and 34. The head 66 of each bolt 60 underlies the adjacent clamp element 64 and the wing nut 62 is threaded on the threaded portion of the bolt 60 and, when tightened on the bolt 60, draws the clamp element 64 upwardly intotight binding Fatented Mar. 7, 1961- 3 engagement with the pieces 40 and 42 of the respective plank 32 or 34.

As shown in Figure 7 with reference to the plank 34, the pieces 40, 42 are each provided with a beveled notch, as at 68 with reference to the piece 40, in which is slid able a complementally shaped elongated strip member 70 secured to the underface of each of the boards 54 on each side of the latter. The strips 70 prevent movement of the boards 54 from the respective pieces 40 and 42 but permit sliding back and forth movement of such boards 54 along the respective plank 32 or 34.

Means is provided for holding the planks 32 and 34 in the folded or nested position after they had been shifted from the horizontal position. This means consists in a latching arm 72 pivotally connected to the one plank 32 on one side thereof and normally having its free end hooked over a pin 74. When the planks 32 and 34 have been shifted to the nested position shown in Figure 2, the arm 72 has its free end hooked over another pin 76 provided in the plank 34.

In use, the seesaw of the present invention may be erected with ease and facility and also dismantled for convenient storage. When the seesaw is taken from storage to be erected, the standard 16 is shifted so that the lower end portion extends into the sleeve 14 and the legs 20 of the support 18 are pulled outwardly from the bottom 12 to ground-engaging positions. Next, the planks 32 and 34 are swung outwardly from the nested position shown in Figure 2 after first releasing the arm 72 from the pin 76 and then the housing 28 is dropped over the upper end of the standard 16 and the planks 32 and 34 permitted to swing to the horizontal position shown in Figure 1. The one leaf of the hinge 50 carrying the hook 52 is then swung so that the hook 52 underlies the adjacent parts of the plank portions 36 and 33 of each plank 32 and 34, securely holding the planks in the horizontal position.

The seats 56 may be adjusted toward and away from the housing 28 by loosening of the wing nuts 62 on the respective board 54 and shifting of the respective board 54 longitudinally of the adjacent plank 32 or 34. This permits children of different weights to operate the seesaw either as a seesaw or as a merry-goround and seesaw combined as desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In a collapsible seesaw, a standard, an inverted hollow V-shaped housing open at the lower end positioned so that the upper end portion of said standard projects into the lower open end of said housing with the upper end of said standard rollably engaging the apex of said housing, a pair of planks arranged in confronting end to end relation positioned so that they extend horizontally across the lower open end of said housing with the confronting end to end portions straddling the lower open end of said housing, the straddling confronting end portions of said planks bearing against the adjacent portions of the lower open end of said housing for holding the planks in horizontal end to end position, releasable latch means on said housing and engaging the confronting end portions of said planks when the planks are in the horizontal position for retaining said planks in the horiozntal position, said means embodying a hinge having one leaf secured to said housing and having the portion adjacent one end of the other leaf bent inwardly to form a hook, the hook underlying the lower edges of the plank confronting end portions, and means including a horizontal- 4 ly disposed pivot pin carried by each of the adjacent por tions of said housing and extending through each of the adjacent plank confronting end portions connecting each of said planks intermediate the ends to said housing for swinging movement from the horizontal position to a position perpendicular with respect to said housing.

2. In a collapsible seesaw, a standard, an inverted hollow V-shaped housing open at the lower end positioned so that the upper end portion of said standard projects into the lower open end of said housing with the upper end of said standard rollably engaging the apex of said housing, a pair of planks arranged in confronting end to end relation positioned so that they extend horizontally across the lower open end to said housing with the confronting end to end portions straddling the lower open end of said housing, the straddling confronting end portions of said planks bearing against the adjacent portions of the lower open end of said housing for holding the planks in horizontal end to end portion, releasable latch means on said housing and engaging the confronting end portions of said planks when the planks are in the horizontal position for retaining said planks in the horizontal position, said means embodying a hinge having one leaf secured to said housing and having the portion adjacent one end of the other leaf ent inwardly to form a hook, the hook underlying the lower edges of the plank confronting end portions, and means connecting each of said planks intermediate the ends to said housing for swinging movement from the horizontal position to a position perpendicular with respect to said housing.

3. A collapsible seesaw comprising a base, a standard connected to said base for up and down movement, an inverted hollow V-shaped housing open at the lower end positioned so that the upper end portion of said standard projects into the lower open end of said housing with the upper end of said standard rollably engaging the apex of said housing, a pair of planks arranged in confronting end to end relation positioned so that they extend horizontally across the lower open end of said housing with the confronting end to end portions strad dling the lower open end of said housing, a seat carrying board superposed on each of said planks and connected to said plank for back and forth movement therealong, means for releasably securing each of said boards to the adjacent plank in any position of its adjusted back and forth movement, releasable latch means on said housing and engaging the confronting end portions of said planks when the planks are in the horizontal position for retaining said planks in the horizontal position, said means embodying a hinge having one leaf secured to said housing and having the portion adjacent one end of the, other leaf bent inwardly to form a hook, the hook underlying the lower edges of the plank confronting end portions, and means connecting each of said planks intermediate the ends to said housing for swinging move meat from the horizontal position to a position perpendicular with respect to said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,619,325 Anderson Mar. 1, 1927 1,652,993. Nefi Dec. 13, 1927 2,104,442 Szabo Jan. 4, 1938 

